Our Under 11 rugby team finished undefeated after four challenging matches at the St John's College Festival this week.

After a few weeks of matches being cancelled we had the famous PGS weekend. A crisp December morning started nervously, with firstly frozen pitches, then fog being a concern to the matches happening. Fortunately all matches were able to take place as the weather cleared.

This weekend saw St John's College playing against Perins School: traditionally very tough opposition. Our results demonstrated a clear dominance, with all teams but the Under-16s winning in convincing style.

After the previous unbeaten weekend against Ryde School, confidence was high. This helped see the St John's teams repeating that feat against Milton Abbey this weekend.

After a tricky start to the season, St John's College Rugby kick-started their term with one of our most successful weekends ever.

The second competitive weekend of the Rugby season saw us play against the ever-strong Churcher's College. While the Girls' Hockey team played their first ever competitive fixtures against the established Lord Wandsworth College.

On Wednesday March 7 the Under 11 7-a-side rugby team travelled to Oakwood School to compete in their annual Sevens’ tournament, an event that attracts the best rugby playing schools in Hampshire and West Sussex.

The U12s and U13s represented St John's very well in the Embley Park Sevens, held at Hampshire Collegiate School.

The final Rugby weekend saw St John’s play the traditionally very strong Chichester High School for Boys. Unfortunately, due to the opposition not being able to raise a side, there was no match for the Under-14 and Under-16 teams. As such, the 1^st XV match was adapted to a Development XV match, giving the coaches an opportunity to try different combinations and look at next year’s 1^st XV, as well as give our Year 13s and leaving Year 11s the send-off they deserve after several years of service to St John’s Rugby.

It was a tough weekend for St John’s Rugby, with our teams from Year 9 and above all playing against a traditionally strong Seaford College team. The Under-13s played against Oaklands, and our Under-12s travelled to an inaugural fixture at this level, against Warminster.

After achieving their first win of the season on Saturday the Under-14 team played against this touring team from Warwickshire with renewed optimism and confidence.

From the kick-off, against the wind, St John’s set out their intentions. From taking the kick-off Jarod Leat started off an attack that could have led to a try inside the first minute. Continued application of pressure meant the breakthrough try did come, with Jasper Clow scoring his second try in two matches. Dan Forbes-Willis also scored two typically powerful tries to ensure that at half-time the score was 15 points to 5.

It is hard to believe that the first half of the Rugby season is coming to an end, especially considering the wonderful weather that we have had throughout. 

Our Junior teams played against Oaklands and achieved two sets of wins in what is always a competitive fixture. Our seniors played against Milton Abbey, with the 1^st XV and Under-16 team travelling to a beautiful setting in Dorset.

This weekend saw a first block fixture for the school against Wallington County Grammar School. The fixtures were more competitive than the score lines suggested, however the number of boys that Wallington had to choose from proved important in the end, as our opposition were physically imposing and excellent athletes.

Over the weekend our rugby teams played a block fixture against Ryde School, winning four out of six matches. Highlights included the first team, where Captain Sam Berridge scored 36 of the 56 points, and the Under-13 match, where we were too strong for their opposition – a final score of 48 - 5.